A team of researchers is tracking down vacantbuilding owners, whether they live in the suburbs or Florida, as some do. The Department of Licenses and Inspections then posts the buildings with hot pink violation stickers and hauls the owners into a special "blight court" held monthly by Judge Bradley Moss.
Since the spring, when the city quietly began its program, more than 400 owners have paid $150,000 in fines, fees and back taxes. The ultimate goal, says Licenses and Inspections Commissioner Fran Burns, is to get the buildings repaired.
The city has about 40,000 vacant buildings, which drag down property values, hurt the city's tax base and discourage redevelopment. Even those lucky enough to live on a block without a vacant house have reason to appreciate this effort.
An Econsult Corp. analysis shows the vacant buildings cost about $8,000 per household in reduced property values. That amounts to $3.6 billion citywide.
The Nutter administration should keep thinking creatively in this battle and reach out to work with longtime blight fighters on City Council and in the legislature. This is a bright example of how several branches of government can team up to improve the quality of life in Philadelphia's neighborhoods.
